Darlington professional Denny Hamlin explains why “it is at all times good to query your confidence”

When Denny Hamlin crossed the start-finish line at Martinsville for his fifty fifth profession win, it additionally positioned him in a tie for eleventh on the all-time wins record. He and the remainder of the Cup Sequence area now head to Darlington the place Hamlin has extra wins than every other lively driver (4) together with his most up-to-date coming in 2021.

Whereas at all times battling close to the entrance of the sector, Hamlin was dealing with a 31-race winless streak when he captured the checkered flag final Sunday. Even because the winningest driver in NASCAR with out a Cup title, Hamlin mentioned sustaining confidence isn’t a given … nor ought to or not it’s.

“I believe it is at all times good to query your confidence, as a result of it forces you to have a look at your self to determine did you do every thing that you simply’re able to doing for the group,” mentioned Hamlin in a Saturday media availability. 

“Are you continuously working in your craft? It is best to at all times second guess your self I consider if you happen to’re a NASCAR driver, as a result of issues evolve and we continuously undergo aero modifications, tire modifications, automobile modifications, observe modifications. Are you adapting rapidly to that? Confidence is a good factor and it is very helpful, however there [are] occasions it is advisable query whether or not it’s best to do issues completely different or evolve your craft. I believe it’s vital to getting higher.”

What it takes to win at Darlington

Hamlin hasn’t gained back-to-back races because the 2012 season and regardless of his spectacular file at Darlington, he’s cautious about believing he has any kind of benefit over the sector.

“This sport is so week-to-week, it is onerous to say that however you’ll be able to’t argue with the outcomes I’d say that, definitely, it lends itself to one of the best drivers, finest groups, all these issues,” mentioned Hamlin. “I believe it is an important mixture of you bought to have every thing. You need to have good mechanical grip right here. You need to have good aerodynamics and the motive force needs to be actually good together with his craft. I talked about simply understanding when to push, when to not. Understanding the size of the race is. Regardless that it is a 400 (mile race), it is nonetheless grueling.  I believe Darlington is by far one of the crucial grueling race tracks that you simply go to easily as a result of it will be a heat one this weekend.

“It is going to be mentally-taxing figuring out that you’ve got need to hit your marks simply good at this observe after which, simply figuring out the psychological aspect of it, you’ve 35 different guys on the market that is don’t wish to allow you to win. It is actually onerous to navigate that, and it’s a observe that you could’t get away from others. Often different mile-and-a-half tracks, tracks of this measurement, it’s extensive sufficient to the place you wish to go get clear air, you’ll be able to in all probability go get it. Right here, there’s simply no escaping it. It is simply actually onerous to get runs, make passes on folks. It simply takes its toll, or it has for me, on my physique, thoughts each time I race right here.”

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs

Hamlin has run 25 Cup races at Darlington, a quantity solely surpassed by Kyle Busch. He famous how his method to racing at Darlington has “modified over time” attributable to how the competitors on observe has advanced since his profession started.

“I believe as time has gone on, you have seen everyone’s so good at operating the wall now or operating near it that, usually I believe yow will discover good automobiles and good drivers off the wall. It was as a result of not many individuals ran proper on it for such an prolonged time frame, that if you happen to might simply run inside a couple of inches of it, you’ll get into higher asphalt than others.

“Now, everybody type of runs so near the wall that now you are solely getting the aero impact. However right here at this observe (Darlington), the speeds aren’t as excessive, so you aren’t getting as massive of a profit operating proper on the wall as you do it someplace like Homestead that has increased nook speeds. I do not assume the wall has as massive of a bonus as that used to have, however it’s you realize usually the quickest lane round right here. If have a automobile that or a driver that saves his tires just a little bit extra, you’ll be able to have sufficient disparity in pace to make passes elsewhere.”